Kurozome
Kurozome (黒俎芽, Kurozome) is a monotheistic religion centered about the return and the re-institution of the as the ruler of the world, whom they commonly refer to as "The One" (神のみ; Literally "the only God"). It is the largest religion the world has ever seen and the most wide-spread belief since the of the original . Most Kurozome adherents perceive as the "original sin" of mankind, responsible for all death and destruction the world has stolen since it was taken from the Shinju. The foundations of Kurozome can be traced back to the , among the ranks of the countless, faceless shinobi who had to face the resurrected Shinju, courtesy of and . The display of the Ten-Tails' power and the truth about its origins caused many of the shinobi to start viewing him as some sort of deity and soon the belief spread like wildfire among the people, soon blossoming into a full-fledged religion. However, since a few years, the image of Kurozome has become tainted by a certain radical faction following its beliefs known as Black Crown. Hoping to realize Kurozome's preachings by all means, they have committed countless wide-spread acts of terrorism and violence, slandering the Kurozome name for all other believers. Because of this, a new group within Kurozome arose, calling themselves Kyūkonoshita (休木の下, "resting under the tree"). This group includes all Kurozome followers who disapprove of Black Crown's method, adhering pacifism instead. Kyūkonoshita is currently the largest faction within Kurozome and is estimated to have over 4 million followers, most of which are average civilians in all . History During the , the world was confronted with the truth behind the origin of the s. , the God Tree was revealed to be the origin of chakra with as the first human to ever to acquire the mysterious energy. When the war ended and Shinju was sealed away once more, several of the shinobi who had confronted it and lost hundreds of comrades to it began to interpret the origin myth in a different way. They saw the reason for the massacre the Shinju had caused as vengeance for the theft Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had done and the unjustful punishment her had given when the God Tree wanted to claim back what was originally his. They wanted to restore the Shinju to its former position as ruler of the world so it could prevent internal struggle among humans. This belief among shinobi did not take long before it spread throughout the , where not a single person hadn't suffered, whether directly or not, at the hands of the Fourth Great War. People began to preach on the street, parents withdrew their people from Shinobi Academies and manifestations within all Hidden Villages called for the to step down and return what they had stolen. The didn't approve the belief, but there was nothing they could react to, as aside from the occasional strife the movement was peaceful. Believers united under the name "Kurozome" and the "休" symbol in what was probably the greatest shared ideology in the history of the shinobi world. No village was eager to yield their Tailed Beasts, fearing others to exploit the weakness it would create. When peaceful protest resulted in nothing, it didn't take long before other means began to be utilized. A radical faction who named themselves Black Crown organised terrorist attacks within all major villages, often taking numerous civilian lives in the process. Although the Kage could hardly restrict people from believing, bearing Kurozome's symbol in public became punishable and numerous investigations were initiated on many believers suspected to belong to Black Crown. Peaceful believers became angered at the authorities for restricting their freedom to believe. Some began wearing Kurozome's symbol in public purely out of protest, although a great part also disapproved of Black Crown due to slander of their belief, rejecting the name "Kurozome" to show their differing opinions. Iwagakure's prohibition on the gathering for religious purposes is often believed to be one of the major factors leading to its revolution. Beliefs Kurozome states that the Shinju is the original and rightful ruler of the world, robbed of its position and power by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and later wrongly imprisoned by the . The malice it portrayed during its resurrection was justifiable anger towards the human race. The followers of Kurozome belief that resurrecting the Shinju with good intentions will cause him to forgive the humans for their actions and assume its former position once more. In doing so he will prevent all further struggle among humans and thus create definite peace. To do so, the nine s must be gathered and combined. Though this would kill the jinchūriki, it would be the sacrifice required for everlasting peace. Followers name the state of the world after the Ten-Tails' resurrection the Era of Rest (休の年代, Kyū no Nendai). Reflected within their symbol, composed of two separate kanji, namely "person" (人) and "tree" (木) to form "rest" (休). Only when the human race rests under the protection of the God Tree can it find true peace and rest. This is also why some believers use the term "resting under the tree" (休木の下, Kyūkonoshita) rather than Kurozome, as well as to exclude the radical actions of Kurozome. Original Sin Because it was taken from the Shinju, Kurozome considers as the "original sin" (原罪, genzai) of mankind. Chakra rightfully belongs to the God Tree, who used it to rule the world and keep everything in balance. In the hands of humans, chakra has only caused war and destruction as well as given the means for orchestrating their evil plans. This is why followers reject the teaching of shinobi, who are only trained to utilize the stolen energy for the sake of fighting others. The popularization of Kurozome caused the lowest amount of registrations for the in recorded history. The Prophet The Oracle, a woman of supreme wisdom who was among the first to adopt Kurozome's ways, has seen visions of the Prophet, a man who will rise up and guide the people towards the Era of Rest. When the time is right, he will announce himself to the world and resurrect the One and after that, function as the bridge between heaven and earth, passing on the One's wishes to the people. He is Shikōtenosu (至高天オス), the Supreme Heavenly Male, the only human that has the rightful claim to reach so close to the supernatural. During the Era of Rest, he will oversee that nowhere in the world chakra will ever be misused again and he holds the right to punish anyone who would misuse the gift they received from the One God. Missions Branches Kyūkonoshita Kyūkonoshita (休木の下, "resting under the tree") Black Crown Black Crown (黒梢, Kurokozue; Literally "dark treetop") is a faction within Kurozome known for the radical measures they take in an attempt to accomplish Kurozome's missions. they are recognizable through the "休" kanji, the symbol of Kurozome, that is visible somewhere on their bodies. Mostly this is through a tattoo, although in Shizumu Haga's case it is incorporated within her eyepatch. Despite their reputation, all members make sure the symbol is visible at all times and wear it with pride. In situations where secrecy is required, however, they might cover it up as to prevent detection. In addition, they are often seen concealing their identity with a mask, displaying one big central eye. This is a reference to the Shinju's form as the "One-Eyed God" (天目一箇神, Ame no Hitotsu no Kami), which it was forced to take after the crimes of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. In order to share His suffering, Black Crown 'forces' these masks upon itself. The members of Black Crown are the greatest believers of the coming of the Prophet and therefore the Oracle as well. It is rumored that several members of the faction are personally responsible for the Oracle's safety and that only they know her exact location. Some members may even undertake a pilgrimage to the Oracle to ask her questions about the coming of the Prophet and the world that would follow. Since its foundation, Black Crown has claimed several suicide attacks through the usage of Dojōtai Suishō in all Hidden Villages, often causing hundreds of civilian deaths. The members of Black Crown do not consider the deaths of these civilians as a sin as long as it serves towards the purpose of reviving Shinju and bringing the world at rest. The majority of the members of Kurozome are nameless faces - those who chose to be anonymous since there only purpose is to become the soil and water for the return of the One. A few major persona have been noted. They stand above the rest and direct their actions according to the will of the Oracle. Most of these are powerful opponents, though they rarely participate in Black Crown's attacks. Trivia *The symbol of Kurozome is the kanji for "rest" (休). However, originally it was This references. Their alternative name, "resting under the tree" (休木の下, Kyūkonoshita) is a pun on this, as in this vein it would read "tree persons under the tree". *Black Crown was partially inspired by REVOCS, an organisation within the Kill la Kill series. Category:Organizations